Director of First-Year Experience

Berea College • Berea, KY

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of First-Year Experience provides visionary leadership and strategic direction for Berea College’s comprehensive first-year student success ecosystem, including new student orientation; summer transition programming, including Summer Bridge; the First-Year Summit; and first-year academic success initiatives. Reporting to the Executive Director of Student Success, this position serves as a key architect of the College’s approach to supporting students from enrollment through their successful transition into the academic, social, and campus life experience. The Director leads the design, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of high-impact practices that promote student belonging, academic achievement, persistence, and retention. This position integrates advising, teaching, mentoring, and transition programming to create a seamless first-year experience aligned with Berea College’s mission, Great Commitments, and institutional student success priorities. The Director serves as a strategic collaborator across campus, partnering with Academic Affairs, the Office of Advising and Retention Strategy, Admissions, Student Affairs, the Labor Program Office, Athletics, and other campus stakeholders to ensure first-year students experience intentional support, meaningful engagement, and coordinated pathways to success. The Director will bring expertise in first-year student development, academic advising, transition programming, curriculum design, and student success assessment. This individual will serve as both a strategic leader and practitioner, teaching first-year courses, advising students, developing educators and mentors, and using data-informed practices to enhance the student experience. Following long-standing tradition and practice at Berea College, this position includes responsibility for supervising, mentoring, and developing students in the College's integrated Work College Program. This supports student learning, career readiness, and the program's learning goals and outcomes. The Work College Program provides a developmental framework that guides student learning while creating a structured mentorship opportunity, with role-specific training that equips faculty and staff mentors to support student development. Faculty and staff mentors play an essential part in helping students connect their work-learning-service experiences with broader academic, professional, and personal development. For faculty, this aligns with Berea's tenure and promotion criteria.

Requirements

• Master’s degree required
• Demonstrated success in teaching and training
• At least three years of relevant experience in student success, first-year programming, advising, retention, or related program administration.
• A record of outstanding student success programming direction and a commitment to access
• Experience working with students and diverse populations
• Classroom experience in postsecondary or K-12 education preferred
• Knowledge of best practices for supporting the unique needs of first-year students
• Essential qualities include initiative, flexibility, creativity, and commitment to collaboration
• Evidence of strong leadership as well as organization and communication skills
• Excellent oral/written communication and superior interpersonal skills with the ability to work constructively and collaboratively in a team setting
• Strong organizational skills and capacity to set priorities and attention to detail.
• Three or more years of experience in program planning, coordination, and evaluation.
• Demonstrated aptitude for analyzing data and applying findings to direct student success programming, track student success, and implement continuous improvement efforts.
• Computer skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Driver’s license
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer or attending meetings.
• Ability to use regular office equipment.
• Standard office equipment: computer, photocopier/scanner, phone, etc.
• Ability to drive a van for student outings as part of the Bridge program

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive first-year experience that connects orientation, transition programming, academic advising, student engagement, career exploration, and retention initiatives with institutional priorities and student needs.
• Provide vision and leadership for new student orientation and direct the Summer Bridge Program, including program design, campus coordination, student-staff supervision, curriculum support, assessment, and continued engagement with participants throughout their first year.
• Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of the First-Year Summit curriculum and learning outcomes. Recruit, train, and develop Summit Guides and instructors, provide ongoing professional development, and serve as a Summit Guide or instructor for designated sections.
• Provide proactive academic advising and student-success coaching to an assigned caseload of first-year students. Use student information and assessment findings to identify barriers, coordinate referrals, support academic planning, and contribute to advising models that promote persistence and equitable student achievement.
• Teach assigned first-year experience courses and collaborate with faculty and staff to develop engaging curriculum and learning experiences focused on college transition, academic success, belonging, and student development.
• Develop and implement assessment plans, analyze student retention, engagement, participation, and academic outcomes, and prepare reports and recommendations that guide program improvement and innovation.
• Build partnerships across the College to coordinate first-year student support, strengthen connections among academic and student-success initiatives, and represent First-Year Experience on committees, working groups, and institutional projects.
• Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate student employees supporting First-Year Experience programs, including teaching assistants and resident assistants. Schedule and assign work, approve time, assess performance, provide feedback, and support students’ workplace development.
• Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist the College in the attainment of the goals set forth and the enhancement of a constructive learning environment for all staff, faculty and students.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director